The present invention relates generally to binding machinery for a printing press and more particularly to a device for transporting printed products.
A saddle binder may collate signatures to assemble complete sets of signatures and bind them together using wire stitches. The signatures are opened to the center fold and collated by feeding mechanisms onto a saddle raceway to be conveyed past a stitching mechanism. These bound signatures, or books, are then removed from the saddle conveyor for further processing, such as trimming of the unbound edges.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,141, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a method and device for conveying signatures from a blade chain conveyor supporting the signatures directly at a fold line. The signatures are gripped from above by orbitally-rotating clamping pads, which then transfer the signatures to a belt conveyor perpendicular to the blade chain conveyor.
European Patent Application No. 0771 675 A1, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a device for removing signatures from a saddle conveyor supporting the signatures. The conveyor has cutouts that permit the signatures to be gripped from above by a rotating clamping device, which then further conveys the signatures to a belt conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,616,139, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a device for removing signatures from a saddle conveyor that moves the signatures over cutouts in a sword. Grippers grip the outside of the signature from above and transfer the signatures to a further conveying device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,793, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a device for transporting signatures that includes a conveyor for moving a plurality of signatures in a first direction. A rotary blade device having a first blade with an edge for lifting the first signature of the plurality of signatures from the conveyor.
Swiss Patent No. CH 68 37 67, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a method for supporting and handling printed products using saddle-shaped support members on an endless conveyor. Displacement members for displacing the support members may be lifted up by a centrally pivoted lever.